this issue raises all the deficit issues. it should. it really is after the fact. >> the reason we're having the problem now because they don't pass a budget. >> yes. exactly. look, they're avoiding the really tough stuff, which is dealing with long term deficits which we face today. they're much worse than what we faced in the '80s and '90s. they've got to get serious about doing the hard work that has to be done on both sides of the aisle to deal with the specifics how you get this done. >> sir, do you think the u.s. has a spending problem? >> look, we've got a deficit problem. >> is that the same thing as a spending problem or is it different? >> you've got -- look, when i was in congress and when we balanced the budget in the '90s, we were taking in roughly, these figures will be a little off, roughly, we were taking in 20% of gdp and spending 20% of gdp. that seems to me to be a fair place to come out. maybe you could put it at 18, maybe you could put it at 21 or 22. but get an agreement on that, and then go to work on both sides o